North Carolina

Catholic Church political mailer draws complaint to N.C. elections board

The Catholic Dioceses of North Carolina have contributed $100,000 in support of Amendment One, a ballot initiative that goes before voters Tuesday, and if approved, would amend the state constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage.

And now the Raleigh Diocese has sent a mailer titled “Why Traditional Marriage Matters” that is prompting a complaint to the N.C. State Board of Elections, reported the Charlotte News & Observer.

Carol Love, the former executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, a liberal-advocacy group, has filed a complaint with the state elections board, and questioned whether the Catholic Church has filed the proper campaign paperwork for the mailer

“My complaint is that the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh does not seem to be adhering to all state, and possibly federal, election and lobby laws, including reporting requirements, and request that the Board of Elections investigate this matter,” Love wrote.

A staffer at the elections board told her the no records reflected the political expenditure.

If approved by voters, the North Carolina state constitution would be amended to prohibit all “domestic legal unions” other than between “a man and a woman” as the only domestic legal unions “valid or recognized in this state.”

At the very least, the amendment would clearly ban relationship rights beyond same-sex marriage, and also bar recognition of civil unions, as well as the domestic partnerships now offered to public employees in some North Carolina municipalities.

The most recent polling from Public Policy Polling revealed that 55 percent of voters support the amendment — but many don’t realize that it also bans civil unions and domestic partnerships.